


Of a Wizard's Stories

by yaruna



Series: Of Years Gone By [15]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Gen, Legolas POV, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 18:30:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4930573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaruna/pseuds/yaruna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Legolas POV</p><p>Wherein Mithrandir (Gandalf) visits Mirkwood with a request</p><p>All parts of the series are stand-alone one-shots, though some may have references to previous happenings</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of a Wizard's Stories

I had been watching his progress for quite some time. He was riding towards the caverns, but I was surprised that I had not yet noticed any elves following him. Even if Mithrandir is a wizard, and probably more powerful than all of us put together, no one goes through the northern parts f Mirkwood without gathering a following of at least two elves. He was right below me when I chose to speak.

'Still you reek of smoke, Mithrandir.' I said from my place in the tree and he immediately looked straight up. He moved his eyes, trying to see me through the leaves of the trees, but was unsuccessful, for when he spoke, he looked just a touch to my left.

'Much you can say of me, or to me, for we have not met in much too long, and yet you choose to greet me with complaints?' The mirth in his voice was apparent, so I did not put too much weight into the words. I climbed down and stood next to the wizard and his horse. He smiled at me.

'Although we have not met for long, Legolas, you have not changed, in appearance or in mind.'

'And I can but say the same for you.' I smirked. 'Though your beard seems to have gotten grayer.'

'And your tongue has gotten sharper.' He snorted. 'Now, I am happy you came to meet me, for I have been travelling alone through the darkness of Mirkwood far too long.'

'Although I did not come to meet you, I am happy you stumbled into my path.'

'I was wondering what I had done to make Thranduil have the prince meet me, but then I can relax.'

'Last you left he did say something about never letting you back in, for you only bring trouble.' I smiled and he raised an eyebrow. Mithrandir has a tendency to make me feel really small, and even younger than usually. 'You did bring the dwarfs.' I explained, somehow trying to justify my father's words.

'No farther than to the edge of Mirkwood.'

'Be that as it may, it was enough for my father. But I am certain he was merely joking, since he did allow both you and Bilbo into the caverns on your way back to the Shire.'

'I never expect your father to merely be joking, Legolas.' He said seriously. 'Therefore, I shall ask you to join me, for he has never been able to say no to you.'

'And you think I want you here?' I grinned, but walked alongside his horse.

'You never tire of hearing stories.' He shook his head in amusement. I am no longer an elfling, but Mithrandir's stories have always been captivating. 'Although I should have stopped telling them to you a long time ago, since your adventures after hearing them make your father wish to skin me.'

'I can hardly be blamed for wishing to examine the dangers of the underwater cave.'

'Where I had told you already that it was dangerous.'

'Well, to be fair, since it is within the realms of Mirkwood and we should keep it safe, we need to know of all its dangers.'

'Which is, again, something I had already told you of.' He muttered, and I knew he was correct. But whenever the wizard had been somewhere close to Mirkwood or Imladris in his stories, I tried to go to wherever it was to see if I could visualize what had happened. It is not that I do not get my fill of adventures within Mirkwood, but I grow tired of spiders and orcs. Mithrandir always finds the most interesting things, and I just wish to see them. According to my father, I am much too curious.

'What brings you here, Mithrandir?' I asked, instead of attempting to explain it to him.

'My horse, mainly. Although my feet have seen some use as well.' He answered, completely serious, and I grinned, thrilled to have Mithrandir back.

'Yes, but what quest are you on?' I prodded.

'I believe we shall leave that for later stories.' He smiled. 'I expect that your father will wish to hear the same, and I wish not repeat myself.'

'Then let us hurry.' I chuckled and sprinted ahead of him. His horse followed me all on its own, and I only heard a displeased grunt from the old wizard on the horse's back.

My father greeted Mithrandir with his normal poise, but he did not look pleased at all. What told me was not the presence of any ill will, but rather the absence of joy.

'Mithrandir. It is good to see you alive and well.'

'Was there ever any doubt?' I asked, a bit surprised, I had not heard of any reports saying the wizard had been in danger.

'If all the stories he tells you are true, then there is always doubt where he is concerned.' He answered with an ever so slightly raised eyebrow.

'Fear not, King Thranduil. Shall I meet my demise; I swear you shall hear of it. But as you well see, I am still here, and I have come for I am in the need of aid.'

'What aid can we offer you, wizard?'

'I have had tidings that something is yet again stirring in Dol Guldur.' He answered and I frowned. There was indeed something evil still in Dol Guldur. Sauron had abandoned it for Mordor long ago, but something else, almost as dark, had taken the place of the Necromancer. It was near Dol Guldur that I had once made a much too close acquaintance with a Morgul-blade. 'I need the eyes of an Elf.'

'I have none that I would send there, for evil still lies there.' Thranduil said sharply.

'I was hoping to ask Gwathon personally.'

'Gwathon is indisposed at the moment.' Father said coldly and Mithrandir's eyes tightened just a fraction.

'Is he well?'

'He is in the Healing Hall's if you have need for him still, but I will not have you utter a word of your crazy quest. He needs rest.'

'I will go.' I said then, just barely avoiding flinching when I noticed the tightening of my father's jaw. I did not wish to disappoint him, but I had always wished to join Mithrandir for a quest.

'I am much obliged.' Mithrandir said with a nod of his head, and a small quirk of his lips as if he had been expecting it. He probably had been.

'Legolas.' Father said in barely concealed anger and I prepared for the lecture he was about to give me, but then his lip twitched ever so slightly and his expression calmed. The play his emotions did on his face was probably not noticeable to anyone in the room but I. 'Mithrandir, you will return my son home to me in one piece.' He said instead of what he had been planning for. His choice of words irked me, but I knew him well enough to not say anything of it.

'Shall you want for anything else then, Mithrandir?' The king asked edgily.

'I may want for much else, but if your question was actually if I need anything else at the moment, then no, I am quite content.'

'When do we leave?'

'There is no need to be impatient, elfling.' I pursed my lips, not even the elves call me elfling anymore. Unless of course if I have done something undeniably stupid. 'We shall leave soon enough, but for now, allow me to enjoy a hot meal and a soft bed.' Mithrandir said

'Did you not say just now that you needed nothing else?'

'This is not needs, young Thranduil. This is wants.' Mithrandir said, gave a small nod of his head and left us in the room alone.

'That aggravating, infuriating…' My father started to say coolly before he realized I had not yet left and he raised an eyebrow and looked my way. I could not contain the laughter so I burst out. He looked at me for a moment more before he also smiled and began to chuckle. Once we had calmed, he looked at me with a much softer look than previously.

'I wish you had not volunteered, son.'

'I know.' I said and hesitated a moment. 'But is it not better that I go with Mithrandir directly, rather than tracing his footsteps later?' I asked with a smile and he exhaled in amusement.

'That thought crossed my mind also.' He said and I chuckled again.

'I thought you agreed a bit quickly.' I grinned, but he lost his smile and looked at me in sadness.

'You are in charge of yourself, and while I hate when something happens to you, and I have some experience in that,' he added the last part quickly with a pointed look at me, 'you know I will always let you go your way. Despite Mithrandir's words, you are no elfling anymore.'

'Thank you,' was all I could say.

'Besides, I could not think of a single trade agreement, or boring paper work that I needed your help with.' He added regretfully and I grinned.

'Let us eat, father.' I said, and we left the room together, soon joining Mithrandir by the dinner table.

We stayed in the caverns for many days still. Mithrandir visited Gwathon often, and I tried to match some of those times, for they always talked of their previous adventures within Mirkwood when they met. Gwathon would never tell me of those when it was only he and I. Yet, I did not wish to impose myself upon them too much, so I made certain not to overstay my welcome. They probably had much to talk of that they wanted to have their privacy for.

I got more and more impatient, much for my own sake, for I thought that if Gwathon recovered fully, Mithrandir would bring him instead. I soon realized how silly I was being, and settled back into the normal way of life around Mirkwood. With the exception that Mithrandir was around and all our parties suddenly had his fireworks coloring them.

Thus it was that I got rather surprised when Mithrandir sought me out one evening, nearly two months after he had arrived.

'Are you ready?' He simply asked.

'Are you not bringing Gwathon?' I asked and he looked at me in surprise.

'Why would I do this, I am already bringing you, and your father would not allow me to speak with Gwathon of the quest. Are you regretting your decision?'

'Nay, I would not.'

'All is well then. We leave when you have packed.' He said and I blinked at him as he left towards the stables.

I could not just stand around, I realized, so I sprinted to the armory and quickly filled my quiver with arrows. Weapons were all I truly needed for this journey. I then joined Mithrandir in the stables where we got onto our horses and started our ride towards the darkest parts of the forest.

The path to Dol Guldur is long, and we could not take the short path through the forest, but rode along the River Running for days, until we came to the Old Forest Road. When we came there I was inexplicably saddened at the thought that I had never seen the Forest Road in its full glory. The trees that grew by it would have held their branches out over the path as a protective canopy. It would have been green, wide, light, and warm.

Now it was dark, narrow and cold. Huge spider webs were in the trees and across the path, having grown large since no elves ever got close enough to this place to curb their growth. Footprints from orcs covered the pathway. I shivered slightly.

'This is what it looks like to the far south of the Mountains of Mirkwood.' Mithrandir said, also gazing into the path. 'It will become worse the farther we go.' I nodded in acceptance.

'I have come through here before.' I answered him, and we continued our ride along the edge of the forest. We rode harder than before, not wishing to spend a moment more than necessary this far south. The risk of being set upon by spiders or orcs grew with every step we took. In the beginning of the journey, Mithrandir had been telling me much of his latest stories, but that stopped as we came closer to our goal. It was as though the dark was sucking all of the mirth out of us, and we rode in silence, only speaking when necessary.

Six days after we set out, we were by the East Bight where we set up camp. While Mithrandir and I can walk our dreams from the back of our horses, the horses themselves need at least a few hours of rest.

'I have only ever seen this place on maps.' I said as Mithrandir removed the saddle he had on his horse. 'It is much bigger than I had imagined.'

'It is at least one days walk across, or into the Narrows.' He answered, and I looked at the large clearing, freezing when I thought I saw something move just inside of it far away.

'Something is there.' I said and Mithrandir nodded.

'I would expect so. Did you see what?'

'Nay. It was but a shadow and a tree that moved unnaturally. It was far away, and I would not expect it to have seen us.'

'Let us not make any dangerous assumptions. I shall keep watch tonight.'

'You brought me for my eyes, let me use them. I shall keep the watch.' I said with a small smile.

'If you so volunteer.' He said and I looked at him suspiciously. Surely he had known that I would, perhaps that was why he had offered it first. Either way, it mattered little. In fact, it fitted me perfectly, for although I had travelled with Mithrandir for several days now, I still did not now what other things than fireworks he could do with magic. And I had not seen any fireworks on his horse.

Mithrandir was at least able to get a few hours of rest before I heard footsteps coming our way through the forest. There were voices also, though they were hushed and I could not make the speech out.

'Mithrandir.' I said, and he turned towards me, looking very much awake, making me believe he had not actually slept.

I looked towards the sounds and saw movement far off in between the trees.

'Orcs!' I muttered with a sneer.

'Have they noticed us?'

'I am not certain. They are making no attempts to hide their presence, so I would say it unlikely. But then again, you can not account for smarts in a goblin.' I chuckled.

'Then we leave. I do not wish for us to announce ourselves.' He said and quickly set the saddle onto his horse. I skipped onto Andúnë, taking my bow in hand to be as ready as possible, and we set off at a silent trot towards the other edge of the East Bight when I saw movement between the trees there as well.

'There are troops on the other end as well.'

'Then we go through the forest.' He said and steered towards the Narrows.

'If we go in there with Orcs on both sides, we can well become surrounded and overrun.' I said, but followed the wizard.

'Nothing is safe in the forest in these parts. We would have to enter sooner or later, and while I would have preferred later, there is no time like the present.'

'We will need to leave the horses.' I reasoned, but Mithrandir only agreed, not seeing the problem with this at all. Perhaps he was right and there was no problem. The horses would find their way back on their own.

Even when we got to the forest, there was no sign that the Orcs had noticed our presence, so we told our horses to wait for three days, but if we did not return or if they were in danger, they should find the safest road back to the Elvenking's Halls.

Mirkwood in general is a very dark and dense forest. In the south, it was extremely so. I could not see one healthy tree for as long as my eyes could see. Which was not very far on the ground, due to trees covering the way.

'I will be in the trees, keeping a look out for danger.'

'There is always danger here. These trees will not help you if something does happen, remember this. Stay close and keep silent.'

'It is you who makes the noise.' I smiled and also wanted to say we had poisoned trees farther north as well and he did not have to remind me of their sickness, but it seemed petty, so I just skipped into the trees. The spider webs made it impossible to keep to a straight path, but we kept moving unerringly towards the Necromancer's fortress.

We saw many spiders and Orcs, but somehow we managed to keep out of their way. In fact, it seemed to me that they should have noticed us many times over, but something kept them from it. I highly suspected it to be the work of the wizard, but I would not ask, for we had to be completely silent now.

We did not rest once we had entered the forest. It was nearly fifteen leagues from the Narrows to Dol Guldur and while I knew I could manage the distance in one day, I was unsure of Mithrandir's ability to do the same.

As it appeared, I should not have worried. We made good time, and were close to Dol Guldur before true night fell. Not that it mattered much in the darkness of Mirkwood.

'What do you see, Legolas?' Mithrandir asked and I squinted slightly.

'Orcs are walking along the walls. The fortress looks whole.'

'Are you certain?'

'Did you not bring me for my eyes? What use shall I have if you do not trust my purpose?' I said a bit affronted.

'I greatly wish you are wrong, for if you are right then I was deceived during my last visit when it seemed like nothing but an abandoned, broken fortress. How many orcs do you see?'

'I see more than thirty. I would guess there are more inside.' I swept my gaze along the walls of the fortress until I landed on a figure cloaked in black. It turned my way and I heard a loud screech.

'Nazgûl!' I spat. 'It knows of us!'

'Then I  _have_  been deceived!' Mithrandir said angrily with a tight grip of his staff.

'The orcs are coming!' I said, but Mithrandir did not move, he merely stood and muttered something unintelligible even to me.

There was nothing to do. I could not leave the old man here to be mauled by the orcs. I took position in front of him and raised my bow.

They all came within shooting distance at once, and they were well over thirty, probably they were up towards a couple of hundreds. For a brief moment I was overwhelmed and wanted to back away, but sense came back to me as I realized I would still not be able to run away from their arrows. And I would not be able to live with myself had I left Mithrandir there.

I fired my arrows quickly, my kills barely touching their numbers, and I drew my knives for my last battle as the orcs charged.

'Mithrandir!' I called, because I could not see how I would be able to defend both him and myself for any time at all. He needed to do  _something_!

But he stayed, head bent, still muttering.

I cursed inelegantly and left my position, charging the orcs on my own. Maybe they would focus on me rather than the wizard. Maybe he would come to his senses and run away.

My knives sang as they slit through the flesh of the orcs. I danced to their tune, but knew I would never be able to outlast their vast numbers.

'To me!' Mithrandir cried then and I started to run back to him, but the orcs were hindering me. At first I cut them down, but there was another to take the place of the fallen, so I used one of the dead orcs as a stepping plate and jumped onto the shoulders of the living. It seemed to surprise them, which gave me just a moment of reprieve as I ran across them towards the wizard who for some reason still had not gotten attacked.

My raised position allowed me to see the orc that was aiming his crossbow at Mithrandir. The wizard was focusing on something in the ground and I jumped, landing between him and the orc who just then let the bolt go. I have quick reflexes, but if I moved, I was certain Mithrandir would get hit. So I shifted slightly, dropped the dagger in my right hand and raised it in preparation to catch the flying bolt. And while I have quick reflexes, I could not trust them, so I put my other arm in the way of the bolt, just to make sure it would not get to the wizard.

Everything happened at the same time then. The bolt struck my left arm and my hand closed about it, making it stop its progress through my flesh, at the same time as a huge rumble shook the earth. The trees around us suddenly began to fall, killing many of the orcs. I grabbed my dropped knife and edged my way closer to Mithrandir, who was glowing eerily, feeling that he was behind this, and next to him was probably the safest place to be.

The orcs started retreating after mere moments, but the trees seemed to follow their path, trapping and killing the orcs easily.

Suddenly the glow faded from Mithrandir and he stumbled. I quickly moved in and grabbed him around his shoulders, stabilizing him. But it was not over. Something strange was heading our way and I could not identify it by sound.

'Mithrandir. Can you move? Something is coming.' I said and the Wizard looked at me uncomprehendingly, looking much older than I had ever seen him before. Then he blinked his eyes into focus and got his feet under himself.

'We must move, something is coming.' I said again, realizing it was unlikely that he had heard me the first time.

'What is?' He asked but started to move towards the north.

'No, we must not go that way for that is where it comes from. I know not what it is; something is hopping and sliding along the forest floor.'

'Radagast.' Mithrandir breathed in relief and I raised my eyebrows. I had only ever heard of the wizard that lived within Mirkwood, and had never met him. 'What of the Nazgûl?' He asked and I shook my head.

'I have not heard nor seen it.'

'Then we go towards Rhosgobel.' He said and stumbled slightly over a root, and I hurried forwards to catch him again. I just let him lean on me, but was feeling worse and worse for each step myself. The bolt still in my arm was uncomfortable, and every time I had to use my arm, it shifted and hurt something awful.

'Why did you engage with the orcs?' Mithrandir asked after a while of us moving and I looked at him in surprise.

'Because you did not.'

He frowned and stopped to look at me with thoughtful eyes. But then even he heard the strange object coming our way and he looked towards the sound.

Rabbits were pulling a sleigh, upon which a harried wizard stood. Even in the forest I could smell him clearly. He clearly was in need of a bath. I scrunched my nose slightly, but then I saw a small bird peek out from under his hat and I chuckled. No one that had birds nesting in his hair could be bad.

'Legolas, meet Radagast the Brown.'

'At your service.' I said, hand held to my heart in a greeting. He looked slightly confused but nodded in my direction. I felt a bit dazed myself and shook my head slightly to clear it.

'Gandalf, what is this? Why have you felled all these poor trees?'

'I am truly sorry, Radagast, but they were a necessary sacrifice to aid in our escape.'

'Why were you even here?'

'Dol Guldur is not as abandoned as I have been led to believe. Orcs are gathering in it, under the watchful eye of a Nazgûl.' Radagast's features tightened.

'The orcs I knew of, but a Nazgûl that resides here?'

'Sauron still leads it, albeit from afar.' Mithrandir declared with a sigh.

'Let us go to my dwelling and discuss this further.' Radagast said and Mithrandir sat down on the sleigh and looked to me.

'It is quite safe.' He said and I took one step forward. Or I thought I did, but I felt myself falling. I heard my name being called just as I landed on the ground and unconsciousness claimed me.

I felt a wetness sliding over my hand and I slowly opened my eyes to look down at whatever it was. There was a fox was lying by my right hand, carefully licking it until it felt me move. Then it looked towards me with big, brown eyes and gave a small yip. It squeezed its head down under my hand and I obligingly scratched it behind its ears with a smile breaking out on my face. I looked around to find myself in an unfamiliar cabin.

'Legolas, good, you are awake.' Mithrandir said to my left making me turn to look at him, still keeping my hand buried in the warm fur of the fox. The wizard sat with a pipe in his mouth, blowing rings of smoke.

'It is not good for you.' I muttered.

'Are you so old then, Legolas, as to presume to know what is best for me?'

I blushed slightly. The wizard is old after all, older even than my father, and apparently he did not hesitate to use his advanced age to his advantage.

'Nay. Although many Elves are older than I, and they all say the same.' I smiled and then hesitated for a moment. 'You never used to smoke around me.'

He laughed that incredulous laugh of his.

'That was some time ago. When you were but an elfling.'

'And yet I can recall a time just a few days back when you still called me an elfling.' I grinned.

'I may call you such, but that does not still make you one.'

'And besides, how can it be bad for an elfling, but not a grown elf?' I just continued.

'I thought you were trying to tell me it was bad for me?'

'I realized its futility and decided to tell you how inconsiderate it was to smoke next to an Elf, elfling or otherwise.'

He laughed.

'Insolent youth. Never can I have a moment of rest with my pipe when elves are about. Not even when said Elf is the cause for me needing the moment of rest.' His words brought me back to what had happened before I blacked out and I looked towards my left arm. It was bandaged with leaves and herbs, and I realized we had to be in Radagast's dwellings.

'What happened?'

'You were shot with a poisoned arrow.' Mithrandir muttered. 'But why were you shot in the first place?'

'You did not move; you merely stood still and muttered something. The bolt would have gone straight at you.'

'Oh, heavens.' He sighed. 'I am sorry, Legolas. I forget that you have never been in such a bind with me previously.' He said and I looked at him in sudden understanding.

'Had you ever shown me any magic apart from your fireworks, I would not have stood between it and you, for you could merely have made a tree fall on it. As it were, I thought you defenseless.' I smirked teasingly.

'A wizard! Defenseless!' He said incredulously. 'You have much to learn, young one. But I shall blame myself, for I have downplayed my part in many adventures that I have told you. I have not given you reason to believe I could do more than play tricks for elflings.'

'Then I will have you tell them to me again, Mithrandir. For real!'

'And I shall. But at a later time, for I must now go to Lorien and speak to Lady Galadriel, and then onwards towards Rivendell to confer with Lord Elrond.'

'And my father?' I asked. Was he not the one most affected by these news? Except for maybe Lorien, no elven realm lay closer to Dol Guldur than the Elvenking's Halls. No other elven realm was affected by it as the woodlands. Mithrandir looked at me closely for a moment before he nodded.

'I implore that you travel to the Elvenking's Halls and tell your father what you have seen. Radagast and his rabbits can get you there swiftly, which is necessary, for the poison still flows in you.'

'Though I am certain that I am missing some context, I will do as you wish. But my father may have more questions for you.'

'And I shall answer them when I meet him again.'

I chuckled when I thought about it.

'If he ever lets you in to the realm again.' I grinned. 'He might throw you in the dungeons.'

'He very well may.' Mithrandir nodded and stood up to leave.

'Mithrandir, what does it mean, that Sauron is still gathering forces here?' He paused, and sighed.

'All answers will come, Legolas. They will all come with time.'

He moved to the door, and I absently petted the fox that was still squirming its head under my hand. Mithrandir stopped just for a moment to look back with a sad smile.

'With time, all stories must come to an end.'


End file.
